What is IPL?
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments can alleviate multiple dermatologic conditions. The Spectrum delivers wavelength specific pulses of energy to the desired treatment area. Discomfort is minimal and is usually compared to the "snap of a rubber band." Multiple treatments may be required to achieve your desired result.
Who can be treated?
IPL treatments are used to remove age spots, sun damage, freckles, birthmarks, spider veins, wrinkles, and rosacea. Unfortunately, IPL is not suited for everyone. Patients with very dark skin types are not suitable as they have too much melanin to treat safely. Additionally, winter months are best for treatment as we cannot treat tanned skin. IPL can be performed on your face, chest, arms, or legs.
What to expect during an IPL treatment:
You will be given a numbing cream to apply one hour before your IPL treatment. You may do this at home or in the office. Once the procedure begins, your nurse will provide you with dark glasses to wear to protect your eyes. Next, they will rub a cool gel on the area being treated and then the light pulses will begin. The procedure will take 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the area being treated. It can often take more than one treatment, six weeks apart, to receive the results you are looking for.
How many sessions will I need?
This depends on the reason for your treatment. Brown pigment responds quickly, usually within 1-3 treatments. Diffuse redness and facial veins lie deeper in the skin and may need 3-6 treatments. Longer courses are needed if facial redness is caused by rosacea, a chronic condition where skin is inflamed and flushes easily. Treatments are usually spaced 4-6 weeks apart to allow full skin recovery between sessions.
What to expect after an IPL treatment:
After IPL therapy, you may experience. slight bruising, which will take 1 – 2 weeks to dissipate. You may notice age spots or freckles look darker for the first 3 – 7 days, which is normal. Your skin may feel dried out or become flaky post treatment. This could last 7-10 days. There is no required downtime post treatment.
Spider Vein Treatments
Glow Coast Medical Spa works closely with Milford Vascular Institute. If you have varicose veins or spider veins, we recommend scheduling a consultation with The Vein Team at Milford Vascular Institute. Milford Vascular accepts all insurance plans. Once you have been cleared by our vascular team or if the veins you want treated are on your face, we may proceed with a consultation for laser spider vein treatments.
Laser spider vein treatments vs. sclerotherapy
There are two main forms of treatment for spider veins: sclerotherapy and laser vein treatments. Sclerotherapy is the process of injecting a solution into the vein to cause the walls of the vein to collapse. Eventually, the vein disappears. Laser vein treatments use IPL to treat tiny broken capillaries and the smallest spider veins. The greatest advantage to laser vein treatments is it can be used anywhere on your body, including your face. Our partners at Milford Vascular Institute are experts in determining the proper treatment for your spider veins.